Carpet Stains: What You Can Try and When to Call a Professional

First Steps for a Fresh Spill

• Act promptly. Scoop up solids gently and blot liquids with clean, white, absorbent cloths.
• Blot, don't rub. Rubbing can spread the stain and distort the pile.
• Use only a small amount of liquid at a time. Soaking the carpet can push the stain deeper.
• Test any product in a hidden spot first and follow the label.
• Never mix cleaning products.

Common Types of Carpet Stains

Different stains behave differently, and the right approach depends on both the stain and the carpet fibre. Broadly, they fall into a few groups:

Food and Drinks

Coffee, tea, wine, juice and sauces. Many contain dyes or sugars that can set or attract soil if left behind.

Mud, Salt and Outdoor Soil

Common near entrances, especially through an Ottawa winter. Letting mud dry and vacuuming loose material first is often easier than working it wet.

Oily and Greasy Marks

Cooking oil, cosmetics and body oils don't respond well to water alone and can spread if worked aggressively.

Pet Accidents

These can reach the backing and underpad. Our guide to pet urine and odours in carpet and upholstery covers them in more detail.

What Can Go Wrong With DIY

Residue

Product left in the carpet can feel sticky and attract new dirt, so the spot can come back darker than before.

Wicking

When a stain soaked deep into the carpet dries, it can travel back up the fibres and reappear on the surface.

Bleaching and Colour Loss

Some household products can remove dye along with the stain, leaving a pale patch that cleaning can't reverse.

Overwetting

Too much water can soak the backing and underpad, slow drying and cause odours or brown marks as the carpet dries.

Pile Damage

Hard scrubbing or stiff brushes can fuzz, untwist or flatten the fibres, leaving a mark even after the stain is gone.

When to Stop and Call a Professional

• The stain is getting larger, lighter in colour or changing texture.
• It keeps coming back after it dries.
• You don't know what caused it, or it's an unusual substance.
• The carpet is wool, a specialty fibre or has an unusual construction.
• There are several stains, or the area is large.
• A product has already been tried without success.

Results depend on the material, the stain, its age, any earlier treatments and the carpet's condition, and some stains are permanent. If you're weighing a rental machine instead, our comparison of professional carpet cleaning and rental machines looks at whole-room cleaning. For help with specific spots, send photos through our Ottawa carpet cleaning page.

Frequently Asked Questions